New MultiCare neighborhood emergency department open in Union Gap | Local

A new neighborhood emergency department in Union Gap was designed for efficiency, with rooms and systems arranged for prompt diagnosis and treatment.

MultiCare’s newest neighborhood emergency department, located at 38 Adelyn Way, opens to patients on Monday. It has 10 exam rooms, a triage room, a pharmacy, lab and on-site radiology services. 

The 10,000-square-foot neighborhood emergency department near Valley Mall Boulevard, which cost about $25 million, offers emergency care and diagnostic services. It’s not a designated trauma center, but can stabilize patients for transport to the nearest trauma center, which is MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital.

“We have the resources that most traditional ERs offer,” said Joel Cardenas, nurse manager at MultiCare Emergency — Union Gap. “We have everything in-house to treat and stabilize patients.”

The front entrance of MultiCare Emergency – Union Gap Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Union Gap, Wash.

Evan Abell / Yakima Herald-Republic

The design includes patient-facing sinks in the 10 exam rooms. When medical providers walk into exam rooms, they can talk to patients or family members as they wash their hands. It may not sound like much, but facing and talking with them during hand-washing can save a few minutes as providers immediately focus on patients or family members during a difficult time.

Cardenas and Dr. Tanny Davenport, chief medical officer for MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital, answered questions and provided tours Thursday. 

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The neighborhood emergency department will have three shifts, with three nurses on duty each shift, and could see about 80-90 patients a day, Cardenas said.

“Many of our patients are Spanish-speaking. Every room has an interpreting device,” which includes video and call options, he said.

Joel Cardenas, nurse manager, stands in the X-ray room of MultiCare Emergency – Union Gap while giving a tour of the building Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Union Gap, Wash.

Evan Abell / Yakima Herald-Republic

It includes a specialized bathroom and patient room. The specialized patient room is directly across from the nurses’ station, offering another way to monitor patients who may be having a mental health crisis.

There’s a decontamination room with outside access, an automatic CPR machine and an infant warmer. Along with those important features, the new neighborhood emergency department will have a patient financial navigator on duty during regular business hours who can help patients with Medicaid, Medicare and other health care options.

“Most of the services we provide as an emergency department are the same,” Cardenas said. “The big difference (with) traditional, hospital-based emergency departments is for admissions, we will have to transfer patients.”

The neighborhood emergency department isn’t the same thing as urgent care. Yakima has several urgent care locations, which provide treatment for minor illnesses and injuries.